Going GREEN!

I meant to do this post closer to Earth Day, but I forgot. Whoops. Oh well, going green should be an every day event anyway!

There are so many SIMPLE changes we can make to conserve energy and reduce waste. It takes very little (if any) effort, and they are likely to save you some money too! Using a reusable water bottle is probably the EASIEST switch to make. Rob and I both have these bottles, and we love them! We fill them up on our way out the door and continue to do so throughout the day. I drink way more water now, and I'm not buying cases of bottled water every week.

Another thing I do to reduce my waste is using reusable grocery bags. I got mine at Garden Ridge for $0.50 a piece! I mean c'mon, there's no reason NOT to use these! They hold more than regular grocery sacks as well, so I don't have to make ten trips back and forth to my car bringing groceries in! I keep mine in the car so I won't forget them, but if I do forget to bring my bags, I get plastic and reuse them as trash liners for the bathroom trashcan. Doing SOMETHING with them is always better than throwing them away!

Now, Abilene is not exactly the most "recycle-friendly" city ever, but we DO have bins at various locations to drop your recyclables off at. I recycle plastic, cardboard, cans, glass, junk mail, and magazines by keeping baskets in my garage. As you can see, I need to take my stuff SOON, but I just wanted to show you that it really is easy. I just let it all pile up for a couple weeks then load it up and drop it off. I hope that we will have curbside recycling one day, but until then, I will continue to do this.

Other things you can do:

-Eco-friendly light bulbs

-Composting (I'm planning on starting this soon!)

-Spread coffee grounds in your flower beds (I think my plants like this :))

-Donate clothes you don't wear rather than throwing them away

-Turn off water while brushing your teeth, doing dishes, etc.

-Rechargeable batteries

-Leave grass clippings on the lawn - built in fertilizer!

-Find a place to turn in old cell phones, ink cartridges, etc.

-Unplug things you aren't using (toaster, blow dryers, coffee pot, etc.)

I'll stop there, so you don't think I'm preaching to/at you :) I just want everyone to know that it's SO easy!! I realize that I am not changing the world or anything by making these switches in my life, but if everyone makes an effort, Mother Earth will still be beautiful for future generations!

"I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but I still can do something; I will not refuse to do something I can do." -Helen Keller